1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of syringe and needle disposal devices, and more particularly to a novel finger and hand shield or protector which is insertably mounted over a conventional needle protector while the needle is mounted on a syringe preparatory for disposal of the syringe, needle, needle protector and shield as a unitary construction.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the medical field, it has been the conventional practice for physicians and medical personnel to dispose of syringes having contaminated needles by tossing the syringe and needle into a bin, box or other container for ultimate disposal. However, once the conventional sleeve protector or sheath has been removed from the needle, the handling of the syringe with an exposed needle is hazardous to medical personnel and a current need has existed to provide a device for reducing the hazard involved in the disposal of conventional syringes and hypodermic needles used throughout the medical world. After the syringe has been used, it is the customary practice to replace the sleeve protector over the used needle and then the entire unit is disposed of by tossing into a suitable container or bag. However, problems and difficulties have been encountered when aligning with and inserting the needle into the sleeve protector which stem largely from the fact that the protector is having a narrow or reduced diameter bore of cylindrical construction. It is easy for the needle to be misaligned with the bore or receptacle within the protector so that the needle progresses externally of the protector to strike or stab the fingers of the medical personnel holding the sleeve protector.
Attempts have been made to use a funnel-like member for directing the forward movement of the needle directly into a protected sheath during a sheathing procedure. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,918. However, the device requires an elongated tube integrally formed with and downward depending from the funnel-like member which serves as a holder for the needle protective sheath. The tube is closed at one end so that the sheath is contained in the tube. Thus, the device is expensive to manufacture and requires unnecessary components which necessitates critical dimensioning and precision construction.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a means for protecting the hand and fingers of medical personnel as they grasp the sleeve protector or sheath when another person or the opposite hand of the user is attempting to align the needle with the receptacle bore in the protector. Also, a need has existed to provide a means whereby a shield or cup-like member will remain at rest on a flat surface so that it will not roll or fall from a table or other working surface.